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Hammers hit by fresh Carroll setback

Date published: Sunday 19th July 2015 9:44

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The striker, a £17.5million capture from Liverpool in 2013, suffered a knee injury in February that ruled out for the remainder last season and is undergoing his rehabilitation. The club are not rushing him back.

West Ham want to ensure the 26-year-old is fully fit and although there have been suggestions from co-chairman David Gold that he will return in early September, the Sunday Telegraph reports that the club want him to undergo his own ‘pre-season’ training schedule to guard against further problems.

Carroll has struggled for fitness since his club record move to Upton Park – the latest of which is the serious knee medial ligament injury he suffered against Southampton, when he was forced to stay on the pitch as the team were down to 10 men and had used all three substitutes.

Carroll is training hard, having worked over the summer on his own to regain his fitness, and has worked with the first-team squad but is unlikely to be selected despite West Ham’s need to improve their striking options under Slaven Bilic.

The new manager has already given Carroll assurances that he will be an important part of his plans but, at the same time, West Ham do not want to risk the England international breaking down again.

West Ham accept that Carroll’s size and style of play make him more vulnerable to injuries but want to reduce the risk as much as possible. Even so his continued absence is a blow.

Even when Carroll is fit and with Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia it is understood that West Ham remain in the market to bring in another striker to add to the options available to Bilic who is also dealing with the demands of the Europa League as he prepares for the forthcoming Premier League campaign.